Mild-mannered Archbishop Little dead at 82

SIR FRANK Little, the much-loved former Catholic Archbishop of
Melbourne, died on Monday night in his Camberwell home, aged
82.

Born at Werribee in 1925, the mild-mannered Sir Frank was
Melbourne's sixth archbishop, and the first born in Victoria.

He succeeded Cardinal James Knox as archbishop in 1974 and
resigned 22 years later, officially for health reasons. He was
replaced by Archbishop George Pell in a move seen as a push from
Rome and conservative forces in Melbourne for a sterner doctrinal
and disciplinary line.

His career was almost entirely in Melbourne, apart from six
years studying in Rome and three years in Sydney from 1956. He was
knighted in 1977.

Ballarat Bishop Peter Connors  Sir Frank's private
secretary, then Vicar-General, then auxiliary bishop  said
the former archbishop was a great theologian, reader and ecumenist
who had a close relationship with Anglican Archbishop Sir Frank
Woods.

"I had 13 lovely years sitting opposite him at breakfast every
morning. He was a holy man. He loved God and God's people. He was
always fearful of hurting priests, and found it hard to correct or
reprimand a priest."

Present Archbishop Denis Hart, who knew Sir Frank for more than
40 years, said he was a person of great warmth. "He loved life and
he loved people," Archbishop Hart said.

Retired priest Eric Hodgens said: "The priests liked him. He
understood Vatican II (1960s reforms of the Catholic Church) and
its spirit, and was also an intelligent bishop and a reader."

Sir Frank served as assistant priest at St Patrick's Cathedral
from 1959, Dean of the Cathedral from 1965, parish priest of St
Ambrose's, Brunswick, from 1971, and lecturer in the provincial
seminary. A passionate Essendon supporter, he is survived by his
brother Gerald.